Joseph Troncale M.D.

Your Lizard Brain

The limbic system and brain functioning

In 1954, the limbic cortex was described by neuroanatomists. Since that time, the limbic system of the brain has been implicated as the seat of emotion, addiction, mood, and lots of other mental and emotional processes. It is the part of the brain that is phylogenetically very primitive. Many people call it the "Lizard Brain,” because the limbic system is about all a lizard has for brain function. It is in charge of fight, flight, feeding, fear, freezing up, and fornication.

The limbic system is much more powerful than we humans credit it to be. While seeing a patient this morning, there was wonderment on the patient’s part about how she relapsed. She had been doing everything “right,” but she had some time on her hands and mysteriously found herself in the liquor store and subsequently drinking. I do not for a second think that she was trying to be deceptive about her amnestic trip into the store to buy vodka. After she drank, she called for help and got back into treatment, but she was still mystified at her behavior.

What we know from a lot of research of the brain is that this type of unexplainable behavior happens all the time, and not just to addicts. It is just that addicts have more consequences for their actions in situations such as this. If one were to poll individuals about “unexplainable” behaviors, there would be a lot of stories to tell if people were being honest. How many times have we done something that we said we would not do, eaten something that we said we would not eat, or said something that we said we would not say? We all know that it is a very extensive list, and it happens every day.

The point to all of this is that 12-step recovery recognized (before the limbic system was described) that we all have this tendency to do what we don’t want to do, and we are powerless about certain behaviors. Understanding this automatic behavior allows us to surrender to what we cannot control. It frees us to do the next right thing by staying in the present rather than worrying about the future or being shamed and experiencing guilt about the past. It takes practice. And more practice.

I always tell patients who are in recovery that if they feel like they are emotionally “in the groove” that it is likely they are in trouble. “The groove” is the comfortable place in your limbic brain that gets you into trouble. It is OK to experience the emptiness of life, the pain of the moment, and the discomfort of relationships. There is no need to anesthetize the discomfort. Working through it is the only path to growth and sobriety.

I did this with cigarettes. I, too, quit again but not immediately. It took 5 or 6 months. I also didn't care that the cigarette tasted horrible. I knew that after a few of them I would start liking the taste again. I also was not trapped in a car with a bunch of smokers, I was in a smoke free building and decided I wanted to. Very odd behavior. I had not smoked in about 4 years when this happened.

Can the limbic system be influenced like our sub conscience. We had to learn to be alcoholics, can the limbic system be re-trained to not turn to whatever we are addicted to.

I don't necessarily disagree with the the essence of your article--that patterns of addiction and other behaviors can get "embedded" in the brain vis-a-vis the limbic system; however, calling the limbic system the "lizard brain" is really a silly mistake. "Lizard brain" refers to the oldest part of the brain, the brain stem, responsible for primitive survival instincts such as aggression and fear ("flight or fight"), whereas the limbic system is responsible for, among other things, our emotional bonding to other creatures--other humans such as family members and friends, and non-human pets. Dogs, cats, and all other mammals have a limbic system, along with humans. This system represents a higher level of sophistication in brain function. Reptiles do NOT have a limbic system in any meaningful way, and while I understand that you are referring to the colloquial use of the term "lizard brain" rather than its exact scientific meaning, I have never heard anyone refer to their emotional brain in this way, and I read a lot of personal growth authors. People talk about their "lizard brain" when, for example, they are suddenly overcome with road rage, or when they fear someone is making fun of them and they react with hostility rather than diplomacy (because they have unconsciously construed the insult as a threat to their survival). That's "lizard brain" in action. Not when they find themselves defeated by an unhealthy and long-entrenched emotional pattern. That is indeed the limbic system at work--the seat of memory, of emotional gratification, etc.--as you note. However, people don't call that phenomenon the "lizard brain," (unless they are your patients/clients and you've been teaching them to do so.) Please rethink the idea you are putting forth in your first paragraph.

Kathryn, I thought you were going to clarify the point that I keep making when people write articles about the lizard brain, and you came close but still missed it a bit!

""Lizard brain" refers to the oldest part of the brain, the brain stem, responsible for primitive survival instincts such as aggression and fear ("flight or fight")"

Actually according to MacLean (1989) and his triune brain theory, they have 25 stereotyped behaviours, all for activities of daily living, none of which involve fight or flight (the closest they get is "Territorial Displays" of turning colors and puffing up in some way.

If we take the "Fight/ Flight" response as an actual biologically programmed dumping-of-chemicals-into-the-body-to-create-a-temporary-supercharge-of-the-body-to-fight-and-flee-more-effectively", then that does not happen till mammals. Lizard can run or attack, but they have no chemically induced advantage over their normal physiological state. Mammals do and it is experienced as the emotions of anger or rage and fear.

It makes sense that mammal can do this, as it is part of their evolutionary physiological structures that allow them to regulate body temperature.

We bond with mammals such as dogs and cats because they have emotional brains. Its very hard to bond with a lizard because they have no emotional capacity, no changes in facial structure to show emotions. They just stare at you, and it's hard to see them as happy, sad, grieving, angry etc, hard to relate and bond with them.

So our lizard brain may involve our addictive and stereotyped behaviours, but its actually the mammalian or or emotional brain or limbic system that causes the fight/ flight (anger/ fear) response as well as the emotions of happy and sad!

Thanks for pointing this out Kathryn. I was really bothered to have the "Lizard" brain labelled as the seat of the emotions. I wish he would correct it. I haven't contacted the author directly because I figure if he didn't change it after your comment he's not going to for me. But I wanted you to know I appreciate your taking the time to point out the error. It's a little unsettling that this article is one of the first that appears under a google search for "lizard brain".

I bonded with my lizard without even trying. I realize that wasn't the point of your comment, but trust me, after taking care of a lizard for a while, you do know when it is happy or sad. Even though he facially does not show emotion, his body does. However, I do agree with everything else you said.

That's interesting to hear Louise, particularly that you can sense its mood by its postures and such. That's pretty good attunement. I would however venture to guess that while you and your emotional brain have bonded with the lizard, I am not sure the lizard and his sensory brain has bonded with you. :-)

As a human being my interest is in the insight that it is when things are going well and I have made many good decisions that I have a relapse. I think I am in control and things will finally go well for me and then i relapse. I know its happening, i can be aware that i am going through the cycle again but just go along. I block out the realization of the negative consequences of my actions. once i start I cannot stop until everything is ruined and then I have to start all over again. Its a pattern that i have yet to be able to stop. It has destroyed my life or I have destroyed my life but I cannot seem to stop the pattern. i wish i knew what to do to stop myself in the moments that i am preparing to use again. Rational thought is of no use to me when i am about to use.

It's strange how many "Modern" psychologist + Scientists note that the Lizard Brain (that was left over from our pre human evolution) is in the brain. All creatures must have a stem right? So why are you mis guiding people. "The Lizard Brain IS the amygdala part of the limbic system". I believe the errors in your knowledge come from old school teaching in sadly Modern Universities. Sorry dusty old books and grey haired professors MOVE ASIDE your dead wrong.